Sam Francis

Music from the Future

Sam Francis Figures Nothing Out, But Finagles a Way — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 19:19:18 +0000

‎”if your music is truly worthwhile, then it would follow that the probability of this music reaching any kind of significant population, would solely depend on each individual band member’s level of patience – will – self-preservation – ” (Professor Pemberton)

Sam Francis – Dharma face

Sam Francis Figures Nothing Out, But Finagles a Way — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 04:35:40 +0000

http://youtu.be/F5MOdJIdtt8

You wont recognize my face, years of reincarnating in the outer space

Once fought by myself, on a planet full of apes
Fought hard to survive, by 30 I had died

So if I’m withdrawn and hardly awake
Surely, you could give me a break
From knowing where I’ve been, I wanna know where you’ve been
In your last life, In your last life

Do you believe in eternal soul mate?
I don’t believe
Do you believe in eternal soul mate?
I can’t buy in
So if you believe and recognize me
Won’t you shake
Oh if you believe and recognize me
Won’t you shake, shake my tree

You wont recognize my face, years of reincarnating in the outer space

Once fought by myself, on a planet full of apes
Fought hard to survive, by 30 I had died

So if I’m withdrawn and hardly awake
Surely, you could give me a break
From knowing where I’ve been, I wanna know where you’ve been
In your last life, In your last life

Political Correctness, Relativism, Live Music, and Zappa

Sam Francis Figures Nothing Out, But Finagles a Way — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 22:14:04 +0000

Bands and musicians should have opinions about what they consider good or worthwhile music. I think the PC attitudes of the world, musicians originally try to refute through their musical style, can actually become integral to their own outlook. What I mean is that relativism can make you too open and too willing to compromise. Like “we’ll play with any band, at any venue, for no pay, whatever?”, just as long as we get our sound out there…But over time I think this can slowly chip away at a band’s integrity or their ideal sound. I say only play with the bands that move you and interest you. There’s no sense in playing with any band, just as long as they will book with you. Of course detractors of this idea will say that this attitude is pompous and you’ll never “get anywhere” as a band – if you remain so inflexible. Although making it on your own terms seems much more worthwhile, in the long run ( I talk like Yoda on occasion)

It becomes almost the norm for someone to say they like all kinds of music – more and more of us are playing it safe, too content to play it safe and get along. I say fuck that and identify the specific qualities you admire in a band, or be specific with the exact bands you like. Relativism is mind numbing, lazy, safe, and too easy.

So when I mock a band or can find no redeeming qualities in their performance, I’m fine with that. This just means I have a discerning ear and have spent enough time understanding the sounds that move me and refuse to spend 1 second more on something that just annoys me. Zappa understood the role mockery and sarcasm could play within a live setting which also carried over to his interviews. Same with Dylan. Todays musicians on that level have this “we are the world” mentality which can really become a fucking bore.

You expect politicians and athletes to play the party line and play nice. But when musicians start to have similar approaches to the media or in life in general, we lose the last of our media outlaws. And that’s a shame.

An Introduction to “Miranda”

Sam Francis Figures Nothing Out, But Finagles a Way — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 22:24:21 +0000

-Intro-

A sweltering summer night, sometime in the summer of 2009, a group of individuals conspired to meet together on 50 Lawrence Street. The city: Leominster. The state: Inconsequential. SF had learned that this musical foray was going to transpire, via an internet service grown popular and known know as “the facebook.” AA had notified SF of the peculiar happening between himself and SS. The two had previously met through a website, it’s name: Inconsequential. For over a year, the two would meet in this Lawrencian basement and mash their musical makeup together, until a pretty girl of a song was churned out. At least in terms of bass and percussion. After several unsuccessful tryouts with guitar practitioners, the two were left dumbfounded. Where to turn? Well why not call on a long past, childhood friend to see what the cut of his sonic gib might be?

SF had returned from the arid shores of Arizona and was hungry as ever to join an already developed band. Too old to start something organically, at least too old in his own 26 year old eyes, AA had emailed SF through the already mentioned FB and SF’s creative tingle bone was stroked. On this hot August night, SF ended up at this Lawrencian basement and joined in with the others. SF had previously jammed with AA here, but these get togethers were loose, unfocused, and the occasional little mermaid cover jingle would show itself. AA’s parents were often annoyed of this random noise and the sessions were often cut short, but laughs did ensue, promising something more meaningful for the future.

Skip ahead from 2009 to December of 2009. A few rough cuts had been assembled and the band nervously took the stage at the Lucky Dog in Worcester. The same stage the Stones had once graced, as they warmed up for a much larger gig at the nearby Centrum. At this time SF was struggling with a raw, trebly, solid state sound, beamed from his Fender 212 amp. AA had really only ever played one show in a band setting before and was clearly in a strange headspace before going on. SS seemed confident, but rightly so, as he had written all of the songs. How would the audience react to this all instrumental trio? Would it bore them or would their heads bob like ostriches in heat? This not knowing, added to the nervous behaviors, that were dulled by ales and straight whiskey shots. A large smattering of family and friends appeared at this show, curious to see what this group “Miranda” was really all about. Would they sing songs about them? Would they represent their families in the most honorary way? Or would they witness a side of these band members that they previously were unaware of? Too many questions as this band of 3 stalked onto the stage. The sound guy was high and resembled a grungier Ryan Gosling. The show went off and was a success, at least as good as these songs were going to sound in their earliest of incarnations. End Chapter 1.

http://www.facebook.com/mirandaband

http://www.facebook.com/mirandasongs

Maxing out your music memory bank

Sam Francis Figures Nothing Out, But Finagles a Way — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 08:13:24 +0000

I think your head is definitely only set up for a certain amount of music. There’s a certaing gigabyte count assigned to each individual and once that limit is reached, that’s it, no more. Nothing else can really penetrate beyond this GB count. So youth beware! Don’t be so quick to pour the nearest and dearest sugary sap into your gray matter crevices. Sure certain sounds will be alluring to your pre and post pubescent ears, but those sounds are yours forever, they will be your base of comparison for other music in the future.

I remember the countless CDs I’d buy as a kid and nowadays, I listen to less and less new music – mostly sticking to about 4-5 bands on a regular basis. The idea of actively discovering new music is tiresome and really not that exciting to me anymore. Maybe there’s a certain age where this cut off occurs, or again like I said there’s this virtual gigabyte count we all reach at various time in our lives. I don’t have any urge to check out any new bands in a live setting either, live shows don’t thrill me anymore, there’s really nothing about them that inspires me to spend 30 plus dollars. Could be that I just burned out my music receptors too soon, maybe I need 2 solid years of NO MUSIC at all? Who’s into musical fasting? Have you tried it before? This might be an interesting concept or activity. How long could you go without music?

We’re all becoming reporters because we feel the earth is about to…

Sam Francis Figures Nothing Out, But Finagles a Way — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 06:04:32 +0000

I had this what if scenario pop in my head last night. What if all this documenting we’re doing, via camera phones, ustream, ipads, and “I” everything else – is a sub-conscious attempt to grab everything under a lense before it all blows up in front of us? As if we as a race, can feel the plug about to be pulled, whether it will be through nuclear annihilation, comet/asteoroid, or something else. We are producing the artifacts that the future of humanity will rely on, in order to piece together and come up with some formulation of our “past civilization”, in order to move forward. We’re doing this in order that humanity can progress, beyond any kind of massive attack we may be faced with in the future. Which could also be a tie into reincarnation, as we would want to come back to a place that was similar to when we were alive.

My generation (30 and younger) and generation’s younger are essentially sacrificing being alive, being in the moment, for the role of note taker, record recorder, and videographer. You see this with 90 percent of concert goers being their own documentarian for the evening, focusing more on 3 inches of screen, rather than the amazing musical display that is flesh and blood in front of them. A band they may never see again in person, yet they’re more content mostly preserving the evening for later viewing. But why? Why such a need to be this reporter? Is this just a new “Ken Burnsian” gene we’ve all acquired and we want to be the best documentarian on our block? Or does our planet face some extreme attack and only our electronics will somehow be salvagable for the few remaining humans that survive?

I also think all of this data mining is new to us, this ability to record and capture, and ability to file it away for presumably all eternity. It’s a new sensation for our brains to grasp. Where as before it was a given that you’d take in as much as you could from a live performance, then go home and recount the event in the finest of detail; Which I think forced people to acquire a stronger vocabulary, as the better story teller was the more fascinating and wanted person at any dinner party or gathering. It forced people to be more literate and imaginative. I mean the original movie star, before movie stars, was the author – the famous author that held private parties. High society always had their host of authors and historians on hand to entertain the crowds. Now it’s just point and click, don’t ask me, just watch. In this way we’re kind of reverting back to our ape like tendencies, as we say less, and act out more, just look at youtube. 2 minutes of extreme living, aka “jackass” scenarios, or any other daring stunt is becoming what our prime time entertainment revolves around. (Tosh.O – return of Fear Factor – Wacky stunt shows we’ve imported from Japan – UFC/MMA – list goes on)

I also believe we’re trying desperately to hold on to your physical bodies, as computers demand more of our minds and glue us to chairs. We’re putting our bodies through more challenges, to prove ourselves to this new world stage, and to prove that computers haven’t completely rendered our bodies useless, just yet.

Then there’s the potential idea that our facebook wall’s are repositories for our future selves, when we might be suffering from some dementia or Alzheimers. Maybe a unique way of remembering, with hopefully the right drugs to slow down the degrading process. Humans in general are very intuitive and I think most of this technology goes beyond the instant gratification of gaming and new apps to share with friends. I think it’s being created in as a way to insure future generations can pick up where we left off. Just a hunch.

Trader Joe’s Super Green Powder: The Elixir of Life?

Sam Francis Figures Nothing Out, But Finagles a Way — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 12:52:08 +0000

First and foremost, I’m kind of a health junkie, or I try to be in a very strange way. I do however still smoke a cigarette or two on a daily basis, so that’s part of the great balancing act, almost staying neutral with whatever good foods I do eat? It’s a battle and I almost feel lucky to be off the hook with only 1 or 2 a day.

My favorite grocery store is Trader Joe’s for its amazing variety, prices, and overall quality of food. Plus the employees are very genuine and not zombified in any way, actual conversation will often occur; I know it’s amazing!

I think America tends to be overly obsessed with quantity over quality and this shows in our protruding guts, as we steadily become the fattest nation in all of mankind’s history. Fast food dollar menus, the cheap meat selection at Walmart, ultra fortified white bread by way of the never ending bread stick supply at Olive Garden, and many more examples that you could think of on your own in less than two minutes. Cheap carbohydrates, cheap sugars, excessive fats, and all the rest. I’ve also become increasingly more paranoid around the subject of the pesticides that are regularly sprayed on most fruits and vegetables – so I do try to buy all organic when it comes to fruits and vegetables. Also there’s fluoride to consider with drinking water – but hey there’s also the plastic with water bottles that can leech out if the temperature is too warm, so I understand mankind’s limitations in 2011.

I’m still learning a lot about what the best diet is for me and according to the BMI index I still need to lose a good 15-20 pounds, so I do have a long road ahead in that regard.

I definitely don’t have the strictest diet and actually use the microwave on average about 2-3 times a day at work, which I’m sure cancels out a lot of the nutrients I actually try to take in. I recently picked up Trader Joe’s Super Green Powder supplement for $19.99. Sure, kind of steep on the surface, but when I read the ingredients on the back, I had to give it a try.

I’m mostly posting the ingredients below, because I’ve not been able to find them on Trader Joe’s website or anywhere else on the web.

- Proprietary Antioxidant Blend *everything is organic and in powder form, just to save time (barley grass juice powder, chlorella, alfalfa,

- carrot juice, broccoli juice, cauliflower juice, spinach juice, parsley juice powder

-concord grape, acerola cherry, milk thistle, red beet root, aloe vera leaf, pomegranate, turmeric rhizome extract, atlantic kelp, green tea extract decaf, quercertin, non-alcoholic red wine extract, grape seed extract, blueberry leaf extract, licorice, vegetable extract, fruit extract, cinammon and strawberry powder.

Proprietary Fiber Blend

-organic SDG flax lignans concentrate, oat beta-glucan, apple fiber pectin, sprouted barley malt, lecithin

Plant Base Enzyme Blend

-bromelain, papain, protease, amylase, lipase, cellulose, lactase

Dairy-Free Probiotics

-lactobacillus acidophillus, lactobacillus casel, b. longum, rhamnosus

I’ve tried the multi-vitamin route before, but it just never seemed to add anything to my energy levels or help me concentrate/focus better. They would almost make me more prone to zone out and become kind of apathetic, in a weird way. So i’ve only been taking this a few days, but already I feel a real energy uptick, and I’m not as lethargic when I get home from work. I’ll try to check back in about a week. But investigate those ingredients for yourself. I know I don’t get near the amount that is recommended on a daily basis, so this seems to be a good overall approach.

Rupert Murdoch occasionally transforms into a…

Sam Francis Figures Nothing Out, But Finagles a Way — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 19:10:20 +0000

Radiohead and the Fall season, falls into place just right

Sam Francis Figures Nothing Out, But Finagles a Way — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 01:55:29 +0000

WPAS – or Wall Post Anxiety Syndrome – Facebook users

Sam Francis Figures Nothing Out, But Finagles a Way — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 05:23:18 +0000

I came up with a new anxiety disorder that I’ve yet to hear Dr. Drew talk about on his HLN show. “Wall Post Anxiety Syndrome.” The syndromes symptoms included the following: The inability to commit to what you’re spontaneously thinking; The inability to trust in your convictions that what you have to say is valid and worthwhile: The inability to have an actual opinion, rather than just being sarcastic, overly witty, or say where you’re currently stuffing your face with food or beer; The inability to possibly offend your parents/family/or close friend as you might be saying something that cuts to the core of their religious/politicial belief system(s).

So this is the basic outline. The syndrome also covers people that constantly come up with great comedic content, but within a minute, delete it out of fear that someone from work might read it and show it to their boss. Something that may be a little too edgy and not really worth being etched into the fabric of time. What if down the line this kind of syndrome or other syndromes surrounding the use of facebook, actually become legit? I’m already convinced that proper facebook conduct courses will start showing up in colleges, as a way to discourage students from revealing too much about themselves, as prospective job offers will be considerably smaller than if they remained more low key/conservative with their FB content. But then again aren’t you to be viewed as the extremist, outsider, if you don’t have an account, and aren’t posting regularly, posting pictures of others – to confirm your social rank?

Or I could see this kind of course offered to new parents as they try to immerse themselves in the proper ways to introduce social media into their children’s lives. What age? How much supervision and until what age should they supervise? Should they know every friend that is under their child’s name? Should they have the password to their child’s account, for the occasional check in. Facebook psychology is definitely going to be picking up steam in the years to come, as it remains the leader in social media.